But despite the upheavals, karate put up a commanding performance at the AUSC Region 5 Games, which concluded in Namibia this weekend. When the medal standings were released on Wednesday, karate was the country's leading code with a haul of 10. The team had three gold, a silver, and six bronze medals. The karate team finished first ahead of South Africa, which had nine medals, whilst Angola, with four, was placed third. BOKA president, Mpho Bakwadi, said topping the medal table, especially ahead of a powerhouse like South Africa, is a testament of the strength and growth of Botswana karate. “It is a historic moment for us and the nation. Our athletes proved that with discipline, focus, and unity, we can achieve greatness. What makes it even more special is that we accomplished this whilst rising above internal challenges. Now that those who were misbehaving have been disciplined and those matters put to rest, it is time for us to move forward as a unified association focused on excellence and progress,” Bakwadi said. He added that the biggest motivation ahead of the AUSC Region 5 Games was the responsibility they carried for the country and the pride of raising the flag.
Bakwadi said that despite the financial challenges and internal distractions, they remained focused because they understood what was at stake. “The athletes and leadership chose to rise above the noise and focus on delivering for Botswana. Every obstacle only made us more determined. And now, with those disciplinary cases concluded and order restored, we are moving forward stronger, more united, and committed to taking Botswana karate even further,” he said. Bakwadi said the outstanding performance has opened new opportunities for the junior team. He said they are now preparing to send a delegation to represent Botswana at the UFAK Africa Karate Championships in Abuja, Nigeria, from July 23 to 28. While karate shone, it was not all rosy for the netball team as they lost all their matches. They went down to Zambia 75-19, 56-17 to Namibia, and 76-23 against Zimbabwe. Netball president, Mpopi Moatlhodi, said the underperformance boils down to a lack of funding. “The team did not have enough time to adequately prepare for these games due to insufficient funding. Ideally, we should have had several training camps and practice games in preparation for these games,” Moatlhodi said.
